Relativistic Persistence

Gibson, Ian and Pooley, Oliver (2006) Relativistic Persistence.

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Abstract

We have two aims in this paper. The first is to provide the reader with a critical guide to recent work on relativity and persistence by Balashov, Gilmore and others. Much of this work investigates whether endurantism can be sustained in the context of relativity. Several arguments have been advanced that aim to show that it cannot. We find these unpersuasive, and will add our own criticisms to those we review. Our second aim, which complements the first, is to demarcate the most defensible form of relativistic endurantism (and similarly, of perdurantism). A recurring theme of this paper is that even those philosophers who do worry about relativity have not taken it seriously enough.

Commentary on:Balashov, Yuri (2004) Special Relativity, Coexistence and Temporal Parts: A Reply to Gilmore.
EPrint Type:Preprint
Keywords:relativity, persistence, perdurance, endurance, perdurantism, endurantism, three-dimensionalism, four-dimensionalism, temporal parts, Balashov, Gilmore, Sider, Hales, Johnson, Miller
Subjects:Specific Sciences: Physics: Relativity Theory
ID Code:2845
Deposited By:Pooley, Oliver
Deposited On:27 July 2006
Additional Information:A version of this paper will appear in Philosophical Perspectives: Metaphysics (2006). Please cite and quote from the published version.

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